HIGH BAND SCORED VOCABULARY ON
TOPICS
TOPIC 1: HOLIDAY
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: What kind of holiday do you like?
Miguel: I try to avoid tourist traps …. I like to get away from it all and prefer going
somewhere off the beaten track … Last year I had the holiday of a lifetime … a two-week
wildlife safari in Kenya.
Examiner: What do you like to do when you’re on holiday?
Anna: I enjoy visiting the local places of interest … I like to go sightseeing and always sign
up for guided tours as it’s a chance to be shown around and take photographs … one of my
hobbies.
Examiner: Do you have many tourists in your country?
Amy: Yes … we have a lot of holiday resorts along the coast that are popular with tourists
… Most people come on package holidays and stay in one of the many hotels and
self-catered apartments.
Part 2-style task
Describe one beautiful place you once visited. You should say:
●​ When you went to this place
●​ Where it was
●​ Who you went with
And say why you liked it so much
Sally: A few years ago I went on a long weekend to the Lake District in the UK … it’s a very
popular holiday destination in the north of England … I went on my own and had a
wonderful time … I stayed in a youth hostel and met some really nice people … but the
most memorable things about the holiday were the breathtaking views … and lovely
picturesque villages … it can get very busy with hordes of tourists so I decided to go out of
season in the autumn … the weather was fantastic and the shops were full of local crafts … a
really great holiday … It's certainly not the kind of short break for someone looking for a
busy nightlife but if you want to relax in the middle of a stunning landscape I would
certainly recommend a holiday to the Lake District.
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: What do you think has led to the growth in the tourism industry?
Miguel: It’s much easier and affordable to travel now … nowadays you can get cheap
charter flights or all-in packages … to somewhere near or to a far-off destination.
Examiner: How do people tend to choose a destination?
Anna: The Internet is a great source of information and high street travel agents are still very
popular … that’s where I like to get holiday brochures for the place I’m interested in.
Examiner: People sometimes say flying is the most glamorous form of travel. Do you
agree?
Amy: I’m not so sure really … flying can be quite boring … queuing up at the check-in desk
… going through the passport control … sitting for ages in the departure lounge … then
the flight itself can be quite uncomfortable … no … I’m not sure I agree.
Definitions
●​ All-in package/ package holiday: a holiday where you purchase the travel and
accommodation together
●​ Breathtaking view: an extremely beautiful view
●​ Chartered-flight: a more expensive form of flying than a scheduled flight
●​ Check-in desk: the place at the airport where you register for your flight and deposit
your luggage
●​ Departure lounge: where you wait for your flight to be called
●​ Far-off destination: somewhere a long way away
●​ To get away from it all: to take a holiday to escape a busy or stressful lifestyle
●​ Guided tour: an organized group shown around the place of interest by an expert
●​ Holiday brochure: a glossy publication with details of holiday packages
●​ Holiday destination: where you go for a holiday
●​ Holiday of a lifetime: a special holiday that you’re unlikely to repeat
●​ Holiday resort: a place where lots of people go for a holiday
●​ Hordes of tourists: crowds of tourists
●​ Local craft: objects produced locally
●​ Long weekend: an extended weekend holiday including Friday or Monday
●​ Out of season: outside of the main holiday period
●​ Picturesque village: very pretty village
●​ Passport control: the place where your passport is checked
●​ Places of interest: sites of interest to tourists
●​ Wildlife safari: a holiday, often in Africa, to observe wild animals
●​ Self-catering: a holiday where you supply your own food
●​ Short-break: a short holiday
●​ To go sightseeing: to look around the tourist sites
●​ Stunning landscape: extremely beautiful countryside
●​ Travel agent: a shop that specializes in booking holidays
●​ Tourist trap: somewhere where too many tourists go
●​ Youth hostel: a cheap form of accommodation
TOPIC 2: RELATIONSHIPS
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you see your friends very often?
Louisa: Yes … we meet up most weekends … we all get on really well and have a lot in
common so we’re always happy doing the same things and going to the same places.
Examiner: What do you like about your close friends?
Anna: I think we enjoy each other’s company … we see eye-to-eye on most things so we
rarely fall out with each other.
Examiner: Have you known each other for very long?
Amy: Most of them yes … although my closest friend Carrie … we struck up a relationship
at college and got on like a house on fire … but yes … My other friendships go back years
to when we were at school.
Part 2-style task
Describe a person you are very close to. You should say:
●​ Who this person is
●​ When you met them
●​ Where you met them
And say what it is about them you like so much
Reiko: I’d like to talk about my boyfriend … Jose … we got to know each other at
University almost 4 years ago … we were in the same department … initially we were just
good friends and used to go out in a group with our other friends … when Jose went back to
Spain for the holidays we would keep in touch with each other … then one year he invited
me to come to Spain with him … and that’s when we fell for each other I think … so you
couldn’t really say it was love at first sight as it had been over a year since we’d met … but
we really hit it off and by the time we got back to university in September we were able to
tell all our friends that we were in a relationship … what do I like about Jose … well he’s
very kind … very funny … and very supportive … and we’re really well matched in our
interests … he hasn’t popped the question yet though … we’ve talked about getting married
and I think we’re both ready to settle down and have children … we’ll just have to wait and
see…
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: Do you think marriage is still as important as ever?
Cristine: Yes … it certainly is in my country … I think the problem for some people is a lack
of commitment … all relationships have their ups and downs …. But some people prefer to
break up rather than work in a relationship.
Examiner: What do you think is the ideal time to get married?
Terry: Personally … I think you should wait until you've found yourself first … decided if
you want a career … perhaps do some traveling… you should do this before tying the knot
… although if you fall head over heels in love plans like these can easily be forgotten.
Examiner: Is it important to keep in contact with our friends when we’re in a
relationship?
Maria: Absolutely … it’s so easy to drift apart from your friends when you fall in love …
but I think both partners should try not to lose touch with their friends … that’s the best way
to have a healthy relationship with your partner.
Definition:
●​ To break up: to end a romantic relationship
●​ To drift apart: to become less close to someone
●​ To enjoy someone’s company: to like spending time with someone
●​ To fall for: to fall in love
●​ To fall head over the heels in love: to start to love someone a lot
●​ To fall out with: to have a disagreement and stop being friends
●​ To get on like a house on fire: to like someone’s company very much indeed
●​ To get on well with: to understand someone and enjoy similar interests
●​ To get to know: to begin to know someone
●​ To go back years: to have known someone for a long time
●​ To have a lot in common: to share similar interests
●​ To have ups and downs: to have good and bad times
●​ A healthy relationship: a good, positive relationship
●​ To hit it off: to quickly become good friends with
●​ To be in a relationship: to be romantically involved with someone
●​ To be just good friends: to not be romantically involved
●​ To keep in touch with: to keep in contact with
●​ To lose touch with: to not see or hear from someone any longer
●​ Love at first sight: to fall in love immediately when you meet someone
●​ To pop the question: to ask someone to marry you
●​ To see eye to eye: to agree on a subject
●​ To settle down: to give up the single life and start a family
●​ To strike up a relationship: to begin a friendship
●​ To tie the knot: to get married
●​ To be well matched: to be similar to
●​ To work at a relationship: to try to maintain a positive relationship with someone
TOPIC 3: TECHNOLOGY
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you enjoy using technology?
Stephan: Well … I wouldn’t call myself a techie or a computer buff but I enjoy using
computers. I’d like to find out more about how they work … when my computer crashes I
never know what to do.
Examiner: Do you use the Internet for your studies?
Sophie: Yes … I’d be lost without it … I do lots of video conferencing to practice speaking,
and social media like Facebook is a good way to meet up with other students … and I
download podcasts that teach English vocabulary and grammar.
Examiner: Do you have your own computer?
Tania: Yes … I have a Macbook Pro … I use it all the time … for word processing,
browsing websites, and catching up with TV programs I’ve missed.
Part 2-style task
Describe an item of technology you have that is very important. You should say:
●​ What the technology is
●​ When you got it
●​ How often do you use it
And say how different your daily life would be without it
Mattie: I don’t have many gadgets … just a computer … a laptop and my mobile phone …
but I’ll talk about my computer as it’s so useful … it’s funny really … 2 years ago I was still
learning to use computers … how to use email … send attachments, how to access websites
… then I decided to do a digital editing course for video and photography … and so I bought
a laptop when i started the course … my husband had a desktop PC but it was very slow so I
decided to upgrade to a powerful one because we do a lot of video editing on the course …
it’s a high-spec laptop … very fast … the latest operating system … it boots up really
quickly and it’s fun to use so it makes working a pleasure … I’ve become a competent
computer user now … if I didn’t have it I dare say I’d have to spend more time at college
using their computers … but on the positive side I suppose I’d read a lot more if I didn’t have
it … I probably waste a lot of time surfing the web … but hopefully I won’t have to be
without it …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: what do you think are the important things people need to learn when they
start using computers?
Alejandro: Well … there are things like how to use the Internet … how to enter a web
address … how to navigate websites … that kind of thing, but it’s also important to know
how to back up your files in case your computer crashes … and all about Internet security.
Examiner: What kind of technological developments have made the biggest impact on
our lives?
Fayne: In my lifetime it has to be the Internet of course, but I also think wifi has made a huge
difference to how we interact with the Internet … wireless networks at home and public wifi
hotspots mean we can go online easily … access our mail … log into our work intranet and
basically be connected wherever we are.
Examiner: Do computers make it much easier to study?
Jane: Definitely yes … researching information is much easier with the Internet … you can
bookmark webpages for future reference and writing essays is much easier … being able to
cut and paste sections of text means you can experiment with organization… so yes …
compared to years ago when you had a pile of books on your desk and a pen and paper … it’s
now much easier.
Definition:
●​ To back up files: to make a copy of files in case of a computer problem
●​ To boot up: to start a computer
●​ To bookmark a webpage: to mark a webpage for future reference
●​ To browse websites: to look at websites
●​ To crash: to suddenly stop working
●​ To cut and paste: to move the text of images from one place in a document to
another place
●​ To enter a web address: to type the address of a website into the address bar of your
browser
●​ To navigate a website: to find your way around a website
●​ To surf the web: to look at a series of websites one after the other
●​
●​ computer buff: an expert computer use
●​ A desktop PC: a computer that isn’t portable and remains sitting on a desk
●​ Digital editing: to edit digital materials like audio or video files
●​ Download (podcasts): to save a copy of a file from the internet to your own device
●​ A gadget: a technological tool like a mobile phone or camera
●​ High-spec (laptop): powerful computer with top quality components
●​ Internet security: Internet safety
●​ Intranet: a network of connected computers within an organization that is not
accessible by unauthorized visitors
●​ Operating system: the software that tells the computer how to work
●​ Send an attachment: send an email with an accompanying file
●​ Social media: media used to interact with other people such as Facebook or Twitter
●​ A techie: somebody who has an interest in technology
●​ upgrade: to obtain a more powerful or feature-rich computer or piece of software
●​ Video conferencing: to see and hear people from different locations using the
Internet
●​ Wireless hotspot: a public place where you can access the Internet
●​ Wireless network: a network where users can access the Internet without the use of
fixed cables
●​ Word processing: producing written texts on a computer
TOPIC 4: SPORTS
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you do any sports?
Louise: Not really … no … I always say I’m going to take up exercise and try to get into
shape but I never seem to get started … I sometimes wonder whether I should get a personal
trainer … someone who will sort out a fitness program for me and make me train hard.
Examiner: How do you spend a typical weekend?
Stella: I’m a big football fan and weekends always center around a football match … I
support FC Utrecht and have a season ticket so I go to most of the home games and quite a
few of the away games too … I’m really looking forward to the new football season starting
soon … `
r interests?
Theo: Yes … I’m really keen on sports … I do judo once a week and play tennis in the
summer … I think it’s really important to keep fit … it makes you feel good and energized
for work and your studies …
Part 2-style task
Describe a place you like going to in your leisure time. You should say:
●​ What this place is
●​ When you go there
●​ What you do there
And say why you enjoy it there so much
Maurice: I’d like to talk about my local sports centre … it’s a place I spend a lot of time in
… it’s a new building with all the latest sports facilities … I probably go there at least twice
a week … sometimes more often … it’s a huge place … there’s an outdoor athletics track
and some football pitches … I play football so I’m often out there … there are several indoor
squash and tennis courts that I use occasionally … a big swimming pool … although I don’t
use that very often … I’m not a very strong swimmer … there’s a gym … lots of things
really … why do I enjoy going there …it’s just a really fun place to be … there’s a good
social side to it all … you can enter competitions … meet up with other people who want to
do the same sports … and because there are so many activities on offer it gets you interested
in different things … for example I was listening to some people talking about training to run
the marathon and I’ve decided I might even think about that … I go jogging a couple of
times a week so it would give me something to aim for … so yes … the sports centre … that's
a place I really like to visit …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: Should people be encouraged more to take up sports?
Alejandro: I think young people should be given the chance to discover which sport they
might like … watching sports is sometimes a good way to get people started … not on TV
but actually getting out … take athletics for example … they could go to an athletics
meeting … there are so many different sports on show, so maybe one might interest them …
Examiner: Why do some people enjoy participating in sports more than others?
Florrie: That’s a good question … I suppose some people are more concerned about their
health … they can’t stand the thought of being out of condition … other people might be
driven to excel … they want to set records or get personal bests …
Examiner: Which sports do you think are best for people who aren’t used to physical
activity?
Julie: Well … I think people like this should avoid strenuous exercise so things like circuit
training are definitely out of the question … maybe just doing a brisk walk every day … or
swimming is always a good way to get started …
Definition:
●​ An athletics meeting: an event where various athletic sports are held
●​ An athletics track: a running track
●​ An away game: a football match played in the opposing team’s stadium
●​ A brisk walk: a fast walk
●​ A football fan: someone who likes football
●​ A fitness program: a schedule of activities to keep fit
●​ A football match: a game of football
●​ A football pitch: the surface on which you play football ( as opposed to a stadium,
which is the building)
●​ A football season: a period in the year when football is played
●​ To get into shape: to become fit
●​ A home game: a football match played in the team's own stadium
●​ To keep fit: to stay in good physical condition
●​ To be out of condition: to not be physically fit
●​ A personal best: to achieve the best personal result so far in a sport
●​ A personal trainer: a sports coach that helps you on a one-to-one basis
●​ To run the marathon: to run a distance of 42.195 kilometers
●​ A season ticket: a ticket that gives you entry to all of a team’s home games during the
sporting year.
●​ To set a record: to achieve the best result in a sport
●​ A sports center: a public building where people can do various sports
●​ Sports facilities: the equipment and services needed to do a sport
●​ A squash/tennis/badminton court: the surface where you play these sports
●​ Strenuous exercise: exercise that needs a lot of physical effort
●​ A strong swimmer: a good swimmer
●​ To take up exercise: to start doing exercise
●​ To train hard: to train with a lot of effort
TOPIC 5: FOOD
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you like to cook?
Mandy: Not really, no. Most of the time I eat ready meals and takeaway… that’s one of the
reasons I love visiting my mum … you can always guarantee lovely home-cooked food.
Examiner: What time do you usually eat dinner?
Michelle: We have our main meal at around 7.00. I’m usually starving by then … in fact, I
often grab a bite to eat as soon as I get home from college … a sandwich perhaps, but not
too much to spoil my appetite …
Examiner: Are there any types of food you don’t like?
Lionel: no, not really … I’m not a fussy eater at all … actually I eat like a horse. I do a lot
of sports and work up quite an appetite …
Part 2-style task
Describe a restaurant that you like to visit. You should say:
●​ Where this restaurant is
●​ What kind of food does it serve
●​ How often do you go there
And say why you like eating there so much
Howard: OK … this is a nice topic to talk about … there’s a restaurant just around the corner
from where I live … it’s an Italian restaurant so as you’d expect you can eat various pasta
dishes and pizzas and I usually go there with my family for a slap-up meal if we have
anything to celebrate … it’s quite a posh restaurant … the kind of place you would take
someone if you wanted to wine and dine them. We usually order a 3-course meal … a light
starter and then the main dish … and I have quite a sweet tooth so I always look forward to
the dessert. I usually order Tiramisu … it makes my mouth water just to think about it …
I’m always totally by the end. Why do I enjoy it there … well … it’s not cheap … my
parents always foot the bill and we couldn’t afford to go there regularly, so it’s always a nice
treat…
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: How can we encourage people to eat more healthily?
Anna: I think the best approach is to have everything in moderation … processed food won’t
kill you if you only eat it occasionally … but people should also be encouraged to eat a
balanced diet … try to cook fresh ingredients at home a few times a week…
Examiner: Do you think people enjoy their food as much as they should?
Florrie: I don’t know really … I suppose it’s true that people will often eat a quick snack
because they’re bored, not because they’re dying of hunger … and often they just it down
and don’t savor it … so yes … perhaps we could take more time over our food …
Examiner: Do you think cooking is a pleasure or a chore for people who have busy
lives?
Julie: Well … whether you follow a recipe or make something up as you go along … I think
cooking is a very creative process … and cooking for other people is a particular pleasure …
there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing people you love tucking into something you’ve
cooked yourself…
Definition:
●​ Fill up: If you fill up or fill yourself up with food, you eat so much that you do not
feel hungry.
●​ To be starving: an exaggerated way of saying you are very hungry
●​ To shovel something down: to eat something very quickly
●​ Dying of hunger: an exaggerated way of saying you are hungry
●​ To eat a balanced diet: to eat the correct types and amounts of food
●​ To eat like a horse: to eat a lot
●​ To follow a recipe: to cook a meal using instruction
●​ To foot the bill: to pay the bill
●​ A fussy eater: somebody who has their own very high standards about what to eat
●​ To grab a bite to eat: to eat something quickly (when you’re in a rush)
●​ To have a sweet tooth: to enjoy sugary food
●​ Home-cooked meal: food cooked at home from individual ingredients
●​ The main course: the most important meal of the day, usually eaten in the evening
●​ Mouthwatering: to make you feel very hungry for something
●​ To play with your food: to push food around the plate to avoid eating it
●​ Processed food: commercially prepared food bought for convenience
●​ A quick snack: to eat a small amount of food between meals
●​ A ready meal: see ‘processed food’
●​ A slap-up meal: a large meal
●​ To spoil your appetite: to eat something that will stop you from feeling hungry when
it’s meal-time
●​ Take away: a cooked meal prepared in a restaurant and eaten at home
●​ To tuck into: to eat something with pleasure
●​ To wine and dine: to entertain someone by treating them to food and drink
●​ To work up an appetite: to do physical work that leads to you becoming hungry
TOPIC 6: EDUCATION
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Are you studying English at a school?
Michel: Yes … I’m taking an intensive course at a local private language school … I attend
classes three times a week …
Examiner: Would you say you are a good student?
Susan: I’m OK I think … I’m pretty good at meeting deadlines and I’m keeping up with my
studies … plus I find it quite easy to learn things by heart which is useful when learning a
language …
Examiner: When you were younger did you enjoy your time at school?
Theo: Yes … I liked school … it was an ordinary state school … nothing special … a
single-sex school which I’m not sure I liked … but the teachers were great … I had lots of
friends and I never played truant like some pupils there …
Part 2-style task
Describe a time during your education that you really enjoyed. You should say:
●​ When this period was
●​ Where you were
●​ What you were studying at the time
and say why you were so happy.
Caroline: I’d like to tell you about my time at university … I was a mature student … I
didn’t go to university until I was 25 … and it was my first time away from my parents so it
was very exciting … I was doing a Bachelor’s Degree and it was a bit of a challenge …
some people take a year out but I’d been away from education for 8 years … plus I had to
work my way through uni so I was very busy … and sitting exams at the end of each year
was a new experience for me as well but I really enjoyed higher education learning about a
subject I loved … history … and the social life was great as well … I don’t think I’ve ever
had so many friends … I had my graduation ceremony last year in the local cathedral and I
know my parents were really proud … so yes … that was a really happy time … I’m thinking
of doing a Master’s Degree soon … though that might be through distance learning as I have
a fulltime job now …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: What qualities do you think a good teacher has?
Anna: They should be patient… they should be subject specialists and be able to explain the
subject clearly … they should give feedback quickly … for example not hanging on to
essays for ages like some of my teachers …
Examiner: What are the advantages of studying on a distance learning course?
Florrie: It’s a more flexible way of studying especially if you have a job … tuition fees are
usually cheaper … but you have to be very motivated… and I would imagine more people
fall behind with their studies compared to face-to-face classes…
Examiner: Do all children get equal opportunities in education?
Julie: In my country, I think it is quite equal but in the UK I’ve heard that most people who
go to the top universities have studied at private school… you have to be very rich to study in
a school like that… they’re usually boarding schools as well so the fees are enormous…
Definitions
●​ To attend classes: to go to classes
●​ Bachelor’s degree: an undergraduate course which usually lasts 3-4 years
●​ Boarding school: a school where pupils live during term time
●​ Distance learning: a way of studying where the class is carried out over the Internet
or by post
●​ Face-to-face classes: as opposed to distance learning the traditional way of studying
in a classroom with colleagues and a teacher
●​ To fall behind with your studies: to progress less quickly than others
●​ To give feedback: to offer guidance on a student’s work.
●​ A graduation ceremony: an event where a successful student receives his or her
academic degree.
●​ Higher education: education, usually in a college or university, that is followed after
high school or secondary school.
●​ An intensive course: a course that offers lots of training in order to reach a goal in as
short a time as possible
●​ To keep up with your studies: to not fall behind.
●​ To learn something by heart: to memorize it.
●​ A mature student: a student who is older than average and who has usually returned
to education after a period at work.
●​ Master's degree: a period of study which often follows the completion of a
bachelor's degree or is undertaken by someone regarded as capable of a higher-level
academic course.
●​ To meet a deadline: to finish a job or task in the time allowed or agreed.
●​ To play truant: to stay away from classes without permission.
●​ Private language school: an independent school run as a business.
●​ A single-sex school: a school where only boys or girls attend (as opposed to a
mixed-sex school)
●​ To sit an exam: to take an exam.
●​ State school: a school paid for by public funds and available to the general public
●​ Subject specialist: a teacher who has a great deal of knowledge about the subject
they teach.
●​ To take a gap year: to spend a year working or traveling before starting university.
●​ Tuition fees: the money paid for a course of study.
●​ To work your way through university: to have a paid job whilst studying to support
yourself financially.
TOPIC 7: WORK
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: What do you do?
Sasha: I do a job-share with a friend in a boutique… I enjoy it… I like working with
customers… unfortunately it’s only temporary work but one of the perks of the job is I get
a discount on the clothes …
Examiner: Do you have any career plans yet?
Carly: Yes… I’d like to be my own boss one day… I’m interested in programming and I’d
like to create apps for myself or for other companies… I know being self-employed would be
a challenge but the idea of doing a nine-to-five job doesn’t appeal to me at all…
Examiner: What do you see yourself doing in 10 years' time?
Marie: I’d hope to be working… not a high-powered job… but I’m quite a creative person
so something, where I can work with my hands, would be nice… as long as I’m not stuck
behind a desk doing something boring in a dead-end job I’ll be happy…
Part 2-style task
Describe your ideal job. You should say:
●​ What this job is
●​ Whether you would need any qualifications
●​ whether it would be easy to find work
and say why you would enjoy this job in particular.
Max: I’ve always loved watching wildlife programs on TV and often thought how much I’d
enjoy working with animals… perhaps in a safari park… something like that… you’d
probably need a degree to have any chances of being called for an interview and whether
there are many full-time jobs I don’t know… I’m sure a lot of parks rely on voluntary work
so it might not be easy… and it probably wouldn’t be well-paid either but money isn’t
everything… I’d get so much job satisfaction … I can’t imagine it being the kind of job
where you get stuck in a rut… and I think I’d be good at it as well… I’d love to work with
animals. I enjoy manual work and I’m a good team player… so even though the working
conditions might not be the best I think that would be my ideal job…
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: If there are a limited number of jobs available who should be given priority,
young people or older people with more experience?
Anna: Things are so different these days… a few years ago older employees would often
take early retirement or go onto part-time contracts and there were always opportunities
for younger people but now jobs are so scarce… I think younger people need to be given the
chance whenever possible…
Examiner: What are some of the important things a candidate should find out before
accepting a job?
Ali: Well …you’d need to know about your area of responsibility… and your salary of course
and then there are things like holiday entitlement… maternity or paternity leave… if
you’re thinking of having children… and what the situation is regarding sick leave… that
kind of thing…
Examiner: What are the advantages of having your own business rather than working
for someone else?
Julie: Well… unfortunately being an employee at the moment is very stressful… people have
very heavy workloads… they’re always under pressure to meet deadlines… running your
own business isn’t easy … but I do think it would be far more satisfying…
Definitions
●​ to be called for an interview: to be invited to attend an interview
●​ to be your own boss: to have your own business
●​ a dead-end job: a job with no promotional opportunities
●​ to do a job-share: to share the weekly hours of work with another person
●​ a good team player: somebody who can work well with other people
●​ full-time: the number of hours that people usually work in a complete week
●​ a heavy workload: to have a lot of work to do
●​ a high-powered job: an important or powerful job
●​ holiday entitlement: the number of days holiday allowed
●​ job satisfaction: the feeling of enjoying a job
●​ manual work: work that requires physical
●​ maternity leave: time off work given to a woman about to have a baby
●​ to meet a deadline: to finish a job by an agreed time
●​ a nine-to-five job: a normal job that consists of an 8-hour day (approximately)
●​ one of the perks of the job: an extra benefit you get from a job
●​ part-time: working less than full-time
●​ to run your own business: see ‘to be your own boss’
●​ to be self-employed: see ‘to be your own boss’
●​ sick leave: time allowed off work when sick
●​ to be stuck behind a desk: to be unhappy in an office job
●​ to be/get stuck in a rut: to be in a boring job that is hard to leave
●​ to take early retirement: to retire early (retire: to reach an age when you are allowed
to stop working for a living)
●​ temporary work: work done for a limited time only
●​ voluntary work: to work without pay
●​ to be well paid: to earn a good salary
●​ working conditions: the hours, salary, and other entitlements that come with the job
●​ to work with your hands: to do manual work
TOPIC 8: HEALTH
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Have you got a relation you’re particularly fond of?
Sinita: Yes… my granddad… he’s 94 years old but generally he’s as fit as a fiddle …we’re
very close and see each other a lot… whenever he goes down with a cold or is under the
weather I make a point of visiting…
Examiner: Do you do any sports?
Jon: Yes… I’m keen on skateboarding… but I haven’t done it for a while… I had a bad fall
recently and pulled a muscle and had a few cuts and bruises … but I’m on the mend and
hope to be doing it again soon…
Examiner: Is there anything you’re particularly afraid of?
Davide: The dentist… I hate going to the dentist… I only ever go if I have a toothache so it
usually means I have to have a filling or even have a tooth out… I really don’t like it…
Part 2-style task
Describe a time when you were ill. You should say:
●​ when this was
●​ what your symptoms were
●​ how long the illness lasted
and say how it affected your life at the time.
Pierre: This is a tricky one really as I’m usually quite healthy… I’ve been seriously ill… like
everyone else I sometimes get a few aches and pains or catch a cold… I can remember a
few months ago I had to have time off work with a heavy cold… I had the usual symptoms…
a blocked nose…sore throat…it lasted quite a while, about 2 weeks I think, though I didn’t
have that much time off work… for a few days I remember feeling poorly but I was over the
worst of it after a few days and went back to work… I always find it’s better to be active
when you feel ill as it keeps your mind off your symptoms… I think my family gets a little
fed up with me when I’m ill though… I tend to feel sorry for myself and lie on the sofa all
day as if I’m at death’s door… but as I said earlier… on this occasion it was nothing serious
and didn’t really cause me any problems…
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: What costs are involved when you are ill in your country?
Anya: Well… people have to pay prescription charges which can be quite expensive… but
fortunately general healthcare is free… unless you want to go private of course and then you
can pay a fortune for your treatment…
Examiner: In your experience are people too quick to take time off work when they’re
ill?
Alicia: Yes.. I’ve got friends who have a day off if they wake up with a runny nose and in
most cases they seem to make a speedy recovery after they’ve phoned in sick…
Examiner: Do women pay more attention to their health than men?
Julie: I think so yes… women are more likely to see their GP for a check-up if they’re
concerned about something… men tend to avoid facing up to any health problems they have
… my dad always seems to have a very chesty cough but refuses to go to make an
appointment to see the doctor…
Definitions
●​ aches and pains: minor pains that continue over a period of time
●​ to be a bit off color: to feel a little ill
●​ to be at death’s door: (informal) to be very ill indeed
●​ to be on the mend: to be recovering after an illness
●​ to be over the worst: to have got through the most serious or uncomfortable stage of
an illness.
●​ To be under the weather: (informal) to not feel well
●​ A blocked nose: when the nose has excess fluid due to cold
●​ To catch a cold: to get a cold
●​ A check-up: a physical examination by a doctor
●​ A chesty cough: a cough caused by congestion around the lungs
●​ Cuts and bruises: minor injuries
●​ To feel poorly: to feel ill
●​ As fit as a fiddle: to be very healthy
●​ To go down with a cold: to become ill with a cold
●​ To go private: to choose to be treated by private healthcare rather than by services
offered by the state
●​ GP: General Practitioner (family doctor)
●​ To have a filling: to have a tooth repaired
●​ To have a tooth out: to have a tooth removed
●​ Heavy cold: a bad cold
●​ To make an appointment: to arrange a time to see the doctor
●​ To make a speedy recovery: to recover quickly from an illness
●​ To phone in sick: to call work to explain you won’t be attending work due to illness
●​ Prescription charges: money the patient pays for medicine authorized by a doctor
●​ To pull a muscle: to strain a muscle
●​ Runny nose: a nose that has liquid coming out of it
●​ Sore throat: inflammation that causes pain when swallowing
TOPIC 9: BOOKS AND FILM
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you like to read books?
Marie: Yes… I love reading… I like nothing more than to be engrossed in a good book… I
regularly take out books from the library and usually read them from cover to cover in no
time… and I can’t go to sleep at night without some good bedtime reading…
Examiner: How often do you go to the cinema?
Jemma: Unfortunately, we don’t have a cinema near us so we have to go into the nearest town
to catch the latest movie… I usually avoid seeing popular box-office hits which I’m not
always keen on seeing… I prefer low-budget films… sci-fi especially… and there’s a great
cinema I go to that has frequent showings of films like these…
Examiner: Do you prefer reading books or watching films?
Louisa: I’m not really a big reader. I find books quite heavy-going …so I much prefer to see
a film… perhaps it’s the special effects or the soundtrack… I don’t know, I just prefer a
film…
Part 2-style task
Describe a book you have read and enjoyed. You should say:
●​ What this book was
●​ When you read it
●​ Why you decided to see the read this book
And say if you enjoyed it and why.
Pauline: I like reading… especially English novels… it’s a great way to improve your
vocabulary and there are so many fantastic authors to choose from… one book that came
highly recommended by my teacher was The Mayor of Casterbridge. I was studying at a
school in the UK at the time and she said it would give a picture of what life was like years
ago in the area where I was living… well I have to say I absolutely loved it… it was a real
page-turner… it’s a historical novel and the setting was a fictional town called
Casterbridge… but actually it was based on a town near where I was studying called
Dorchester. It had such a great plot … to cut a long story short it tells the story of the
downfall of a man called Henchard, the central character, who lives during a period of great
social change around the time of the industrial revolution… the reason I enjoyed it so
much… apart from the great story… it gave me a picture of what life had been like in the
place I was studying at the time … I really couldn’t put it down… it was such a fantastic
story…
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: Is reading as pleasurable in digital format?
Alice: Personally, I prefer reading a paperback or hardback especially if I’m reading a
classic which I don’t think feels right as an e-book… but I can see it can be good for
others…my grandmother has an e-reader and she loves the way you can enlarge the text…
Examiner: Do you think bookshops will survive the digital revolution?
Thomas: I think so… at least I hope so… I love flicking through books in a bookshop.
Online shopping is useful… finding out on Amazon if a book you want has got a good
review … maybe getting one that is difficult to find… but I still love the experience of being
in a bookshop…
Examiner: Statistics show that visits to the cinema are up despite the availability of
DVDs and online downloads. Why do you think this might be?
Jamie: I think it’s the whole experience that the cinema offers… going out to see a film when
it goes on general release… and seeing it on the big screen is more exciting than watching
the film at home on TV… especially if it’s an action movie… and watching it with others
makes it even more special …
Definitions
●​ An action movie: a film with fast moving scenes, often containing violence
●​ To be engrossed in: to be completely focused on one thing
●​ Bedtime reading: something to read in bed before you go to sleep
●​ To be a big reader: someone who reads a lot
●​ To be based on: to use as a modal
●​ A box office hit: a financially successful film
●​ To be heavy-going: difficult to read
●​ A blockbuster: a film that is a big commercial success
●​ To catch the latest movie: to see a film that has just come out
●​ The central character: the main person in a film or book
●​ A classic: of the highest quality
●​ To come highly recommended: to be praised by another person
●​ Couldn’t put it down: wasn’t able to stop reading a book
●​ An e-book: a digital book
●​ An e-reader: a device for reading e-books
●​ To flick through: to look quickly through a book
●​ To get a good/bad review: to receive positive or negative feedback
●​ To go on general release: when a film can be seen by the general public
●​ Hardback: a book with a rigid cover (see ‘paperback’ below)
●​ A historical novel: a story set in the past
●​ A low budget film: a film made with a small amount of money
●​ On the big screen: at the cinema
●​ A page turner: a book that you want to keep reading
●​ Paperback: a book with a flexible cover (see ‘hardback’ above)
●​ Plot: the main events in a film or book
●​ To read something from cover to cover: to read a book from the first page to the last
●​ Sci-fi: science fiction
●​ The setting: where the action takes place
●​ Showings: performances of a film
●​ Soundtrack: the music that accompanies a film
●​ Special effects: the visuals or sounds that are added to a film which are difficult to
produce naturally
●​ To take out (a book from the library): to borrow a book from the library
●​ To tell the story of: to outline the details of someone’s life or an event
TOPIC 10: ACCOMMODATION
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you live in a house or an apartment?
Callum: Actually I live on campus … in a single room in halls of residence … all first year
students are encouraged to do that as they’d be close to the university … next year I plan to
move into student digs in town.
Examiner: What kind of accommodation do most people live in in your city?
Maria: In the city itself the majority of people live in apartment blocks … that’s what
surprised me about England … most people seem to live in terraced houses with lovely
back gardens …
Examiner: Tell me about where you live?
Julia: I live with my parents in the suburbs of Madrid … we only moved in recently … in
fact we had a house-warming party just a few weeks ago …
Part 2-style task
Describe a house or an apartment you would like to live in. You should say:
●​ What kind of accommodation it would be
●​ Where it would be
●​ Who would live there with you
And say why you would enjoy living in this place.
Paolo: I think most people when answering this question would say they’d like to live in a big
detached house with spacious rooms … views of the countryside and so on … but actually
my ideal home would be a lot different … I’ve always loved the idea of having a mobile
home … a really expensive one with all the mod cons … so I could live wherever I wanted
or at least have lots of holidays and be able to take all my home comforts with me whenever
I travelled … I realize this would have to be a second home as I’d need a base … a permanent
address … but the mobile home would be the accommodation I’d find it exciting to live in …
I suppose once I settle down and have children I’ll want to get on the property ladder … I’ll
be like everyone else … saving up to put down a deposit on a house or an apartment … I
don’t think my family would want to live in a mobile home … but I like to think I’ll still keep
that dream home in mind…
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: Is it better to own your own home or to rent?
Ana: I think both have their advantages … Living in rented accommodation isn’t
necessarily a bad thing … you don’t have a huge debt like you do when you take out a
mortgage but I suppose the property market offers you an investment for the future … I’m
sure that’s why most people prefer to own their own home …
Examiner: What options are available to young couples looking for accommodation in
your country?
Toni: If they want to buy their own home it isn’t easy for first-time buyers … mortgages are
hard to get so most people live in with their parents or in rented accommodation … but that
can also be very expensive … you often have to pay rent in advance … and if the
accommodation isn’t fully furnished you have the expense of buying furniture…
Examiner: What are some of the pleasures involved in making a home for ourselves?
Suki: I suppose it starts with house-hunting… finding your ideal home … some people
enjoy doing up an old property … giving a property that’s old and tired a new lease on life
… others like making wherever they live feel like hơme with some home comfort…
Definitions
●​ (all the) mod cons: technology at home that makes jobs easier such as washing
machines, dishwashers,..
●​ apartment block: a large building that made up of smaller units of apartment
●​ back garden: a garden at the rear of the house
●​ detached house: a house that not physically connected to another property
●​ to do up a property: to repair an old building
●​ dream home: a home you regard as perfect
●​ first-time buyer: someone buying the property for the first time, especially when
taking out a loan (mortgage)
●​ fully-furnished: a rented property with all furniture included
●​ to get on the property ladder: to buy the property with the aim of buying another
bigger of more expensive on later in life
●​ hall of residence: a college of university building where students live
●​ creature comforts: things that make a home feel comfortable to live in
●​ house-hunting: looking for a property to live in
●​ house-warming party: a party to celebrate moving into a new home
●​ ideal home: a perfect home
●​ to live on campus: to live on the university or college grounds
●​ mobile home: a home that can be moved by a vehicle or on that has its own engine
●​ to move into: to begin to live a property
●​ to own your own home: to have bought the property you live in
●​ to pay rent in advance: weekly or monthly rent paid at the beginning of the week or
month
●​ permanent address: a fixed address
●​ property market: the buying and selling of land or building
●​ to put down a deposit: to pay an amount of money as the first in a series of future
payments
●​ rented accommodation: property owned by someone else and for which a person
pays a fixed amount to live in
●​ single room: a room for one person
●​ spacious room: a large room
●​ starter home: a small house / condo for a new family.
●​ student digs: student accommodation
●​ the suburbs: a residential area on the edge of town or cities
●​ to take out a mortgage: to borrow a large amount of money, paid back over several
years, in order to buy a terraced house: a house connected on both sides by other
properties
TOPIC 11 CLOTHES AND FASHION
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you enjoy buying clothes?
Pedro: I used to … yes… like most young people I was a bit of a slave to fashion and I’d always
have to buy that must-have shirt or pair of shoes … I’m not so bothered now though …I
wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing something old fashioned but I’m not as bothered as I used to
be about what I wear…
Examiner: What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
Marco: I prefer casual clothes actually … I hate getting dressed up for special occasions …
personally I think it’s possible to look good in a pair of jeans … but that’s my opinion … I don’t
think my wife would call me a fashion icon, that’s for sure…
Examiner: Are there many clothes shops where you live?
Sylvia: Yes … there are lots in my town … apart from the big chain stores we’ve got a couple
of really nice shops that sell vintage clothes … old clothes but in a classic style that never
really go out of fashion … I love going there …
Part 2-style task
Describe someone you know who dresses well. You should say:
●​ Who they are
●​ How you know them
●​ What kind of clothes they wear
And say why you like the way they dress.
Tomoko: I’d like to talk about one of my teachers … Miss Evans … She teaches us English
in the school I go to … we always look forward to seeing what she’s going to wear when our
lesson starts … she’s always very well dressed and takes a lot of pride in her appearance
…it’s not that she dresses in very smart clothes … she doesn’t come to school dressed to
kill or anything like that … but what she wears really suits her … and she has a great sense
of style as well … we often ask her where she gets some of her clothes and most of the time
they’re just off the peg … and she says she’s not interested in designer label or anything like
that … she doesn’t seem too concerned about keeping up with the latest fashion … she just
wears clothes that are timeless… yes … Miss Evans is the person I think looks great in the
clothes she wears …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: What factors affect the clothes we choose to wear?
Maki: it depends … where we are or where we’re going is a big factor … if you are going out
to a club or party you are going to dress for that occasion … and then there are those who
think it’s important to look like they’re on trend … they’ll want to wear the latest fashions
… there are a lot of factors really …
Examiner: What kinds of things determine what is in fashion and what we should be
wearing?
Martin: I suppose the big fashion houses and fashion shows must have an effect but the
clothes you see on the catwalk don’t always reflect what normal people wear … so I suppose
it will be things like what singers are wearing in videos or models are wearing in magazines
… that kind of thing…
Examiner: Is it possible to look good without spending lots of money on clothes?
Corinna: I’m sure it is… yes … I suppose it’s about having an eye for what looks good …
knowing how to mix and match different items of clothing that go well together … I think
you can pick up great bargains in charity shops … sometimes for youngsters even
hand-me-downs can look good…
Definitions
●​ To be on trend: to be very fashionable
●​ Casual clothes: not formal
●​ Classic style: a simple, traditional style that is always fashionable
●​ Designer label: a well-known company that makes (often expensive) clothing
●​ Dressed to kill: wearing clothes that attract admirers
●​ To dress for the occasion: to wear clothes suitable for a particular event
●​ Fashionable: in fashion
●​ Fashion house: a company that sells (usually expensive) new styles in clothes
●​ Fashion icon: a person who is famous for their sense of fashion
●​ Fashion show: an event where models show off the latest in fashion designs
●​ To get dressed up: to put on nice clothes, often to go out somewhere special
●​ To go out of fashion: to not be in fashion anymore
●​ Hand-me-downs: clothes that are passed down from older brothers or sisters to their
younger siblings
●​ To have an eye for fashion: to be a good judge of clothing style
●​ To have a sense of style: the ability to wear clothes that look stylish
●​ The height of fashion: very fashionable
●​ To keep up with the latest fashion: to wear the latest fashion
●​ To look good in: to wear something that suits you
●​ To mix and match: to wear different styles or items of clothing that aren’t part of a
set outfit
●​ Must-have: something that is highly fashionable and therefore in demand
●​ Off the peg: clothing that is ready made
●​ Old fashioned: not in fashion anymore
●​ On the catwalk: the stage that modals walk along to show of the latest fashions
●​ A slave to fashion: someone who always feel the need to wear the latest fashions
●​ Smart clothes: the kind of clothes worn for a formal event
●​ To suit someone: to look good on someone
●​ To take pride in one’s appearance: to pay attention to how one looks
●​ Timeless: something that doesn’t go out of fashion
●​ Vintage clothes: clothes from an earlier period
●​ Well-dressed: to be dressed attractively
TOPIC 12: PEOPLE (1) – CHARACTERISTICS
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: How would you describe yourself?
Paula: everyone tells me I take after my mom as I’m quite laid-back … I think I’m good
company but you should ask my friends if they agree …
Examiner: In which ways are you similar to your friends?
Manuel: I seem to be attracted to introverts … not people who are painfully shy but most of
my friends are a little reserved … and I think that’s what I’m like.
Examiner: Are you similar or different from your brother(s)/sister(s)?
Mira: I think my brother and I are very similar … I’d say we’re fun-loving and tend to be a
bit extroverted … my brother is certainly the life and soul of the party … I’m not sure that
applies to me …
Part 2-style task
Describe a teacher you once had who you enjoyed being taught by. You should say:
●​ Who this person was
●​ When they were your teacher
●​ Which subject they taught you
And describe what it was about their character that you liked.
Carolina: I’d like to describe my English teacher from school … Miss Thomas … this was a
few years ago now and she was my teacher at a time when I was getting a little bored with
being at school … Unlike some of the other teachers, Miss Thomas never lost her temper …
she was very calm and easy-going … She was also very broad-minded … we were able to
ask her questions about lots of subjects that some other teachers would refuse to discuss
which made us respect her even more … she had a great sense of humor too … she’d laugh
at our jokes as well as making us laugh … and she would also bend over backwards to help
us with our work … She always put us first and often stayed around at the end of class to
talk with anyone who needed help … apparently she was highly respected within her field but
you would never know as she was the type that hid her light under a bushel … she was
very modest and self-effacing … So yes … Miss Thomas was a teacher I have fond
memories of …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: Which personal qualities do you think we most want to pass on to our
children?
Martin: I certainly would want my children to be self-confident and self-assured … I really
believe that people who feel good about themselves are in a good position to face what life
has to offer … and I’d hope they wouldn’t be self-centered …but remember to think about
others…
Examiner: Which characteristics do you think are the least appealing in a person?
Marianne: Well … people who are very narrow-minded are difficult to get on with … it’s
nice when someone is open to other people’s opinion and willing to think about their own
views ... and people who are two-faced can be a little irritating … relationships are built on
trust and without honesty there’s not much left …
Examiner: Which personality types do you think are less likely to suffer from stress or
anxiety?
Sol: Probably people who are thick-skinned … who don’t let people or problems affect them
too much … and if you are fair-minded you’ll be less likely to overreact to situations or be
quick-tempered …
Definitions
●​ To be the life and soul of the party: a fun person, someone who is the center of
activity
●​ To be over backwards: to try very hard to help someone
●​ Broad-minded: prepared to accept other views or behaviors
●​ Easy-going: relaxed and not easily worried about anything
●​ Extrovert: an energetic person who likes the company of others
●​ Fair-minded: to treat people equally
●​ Fun-loving: to enjoy having fun
●​ To hide one’s light under a bushel: to hide one’s talents and skills
●​ Good company: enjoyable to socialize with
●​ Good sense of humor: the ability to understand what is funny
●​ Introvert: someone who is shy
●​ Laid-back: see ‘easy-going’
●​ To lose one’s temper: to suddenly become angry
●​ Narrow minded: opposite of ‘narrow-minded’
●​ Painfully shy: very shy
●​ To put others first: to think of others before yourself
●​ Quick-tempered: to become angry quickly
●​ Reserved: shy
●​ Self-assured: confident
●​ Self-centred: thinks only of oneself
●​ Self-confident: believes in one’s ability or knowledge
●​ Self-effacing: to not try to get attention of others (especially in terms of hiding one’s
skills or abilities)
●​ To take after: to be like (often another member of the family)
●​ Thick-skinned: not easily affected by criticism
●​ Trustworthy: can be trusted
●​ Two-faced: not honest or sincere. Wil say one thing to someone to their face and
another when they are not present.
TOPIC 13: PEOPLE (1) – CHARACTERISTICS
Part 1 – Style Questions
Examiner: How would you describe yourself?
Paula: Everyone tells me I take after my mum as I’m quite laid-back … I think I’m good
company but you should ask my friends if they agree …
Examiner: In which way are you similar to your friends?
Manuel: I seem to be attracted to introverts … not people who are painfully shy but most of
my friends are a little reserved … and I think that’s what I’m like …
Examiner: Are you similar or different to your brother(s)/sister(s)?
Mira: I think my brother and I are very similar … I’d say we’re fun-loving and tend to be a
bit extroverted … my brother is certainly the life and soul of the party … I’m not sure that
applies to me …
Part 2 –Style Task
Describe a teacher you once had who you enjoyed being taught by. You should say
●​ Who this person was
●​ When they were your teacher
●​ Which subject they taught you
And describe what it was about their character that you liked.
Carolina: I’d like to describe my English teacher from school … Miss Thomas … this was a
few years ago now and she was my teacher at a time when I was getting a little bored with
being at school … unlike some of the other teachers Miss Thomas never lost her temper …
she was very calm and easy-going … she was also very broad-minded … we were able to
ask her questions about lots of subjects that some other teachers would refuse to discuss
which made us respect her even more … she had a great sense of humor too … she’d laugh
at our jokes as well as making us laugh … and she would also bend over backwards to help
us with our work … she always put us first and often stayed around at the end of class to talk
with anyone who needed help … apparently she was highly respected within her field but you
would never know as she was the type that hid her light under a bushel … she was very
modest and self-effacing … so yes … Miss Thomas was a teacher I have fond memories of
…
Part 3 – Style Questions
Examiner: Which personal qualities do you think we most want to pass on to our
children?
Martin: I certainly would want my children to be self-confident and self-assured … I really
believe that people who feel good about themselves are in a good position to face what life
has to offer them … and I’d hope they wouldn’t be self-centered … but would remember to
think about others …
Examiner: Which characteristics do you think are the least appealing in a person?
Marianne: Well … people who are very narrow-minded are difficult to get on with … it’s
nice when someone is open to other people’s opinions and willing to think about their own
views … and people who are two-faced can be a little irritating … relationships are built on
trust and without honesty there’s not much left …
Examiner: Which personality types do you think are less likely to suffer from stress or
anxiety?
Sol: Probably people who are thick-skinned … who don’t let people or problems affect them
too much … and if you are fair-minded you’ll be less likely to overreact to situations or be
quick-tempered …
Definitions
●​ To be the life and soul of the party: a fun person, someone who is the centre of
activity
●​ To bend over backwards: to try very hard to help someone
●​ Broad-minded: prepared to accept other views or behaviours
●​ Easy-going: relaxed and not easily worried about anything
●​ Extrovert: an energetic person who likes the company of others
●​ Fair-minded: to be someone who tries to treat people fairly
●​ Fun-loving: to enjoy having fun
●​ To hide one’s light under a bushel: to hide one’s talents and skills
●​ Good company: enjoyable to socialise with
●​ Good sense of humor: the ability to understand what is funny
●​ Introvert: someone who is shy
●​ Laid-back: see ‘easy-going’
●​ To lose one’s temper: to suddenly become angry
●​ Narrow-minded: opposite of ‘broad-minded’ (see above)
●​ Painfully shy: very shy
●​ To put others first: to think of others before yourself
●​ Quick-tempered: to become angry quickly
●​ Reserved: shy
●​ Self-assured: confident
●​ Self-centred: thinks only of oneself
●​ Self-confident: believes in one’s own ability or knowledge
●​ Self-effacing: to not try to get the attention of others (especially in terms of hiding
one’s skills or abilities)
●​ To take after: to be like (often another member of the family)
●​ Thick-skinned: not easily affected by criticism
●​ Trustworthy: can be trusted
●​ Two-faced: not honest or sincere. Will say one thing to someone to their face and
another when they are not
TOPIC 14: PEOPLE (2) – PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Part 1 – Style Questions
Examiner: Do you look like any other people in your family?
Carlo: No … not at all … take my brother for example … he has short cropped hair and has
a quite pointed face … he’s also quite fair-skinned compared to me …
Examiner: Tell me about your family
Andrea: My father’s getting on a bit … he’s in his 60s … but he looks very young for his
age… he still does lots of exercise and is quite well-built…
Examiner: What does your best friend look like?
Mandy: She’s the same age as me … she has shoulder-length hair … fair hair … she has a
slim figure and is medium height …
Part 2- Style Task
Describe a person whose appearance you like. You should say
●​ Who this person is
●​ What their relationship is to you
●​ What they look like
And say what it is about their appearance you like.
Monique: OK…I’d like to talk about my aunt … her name’s Marta and she’s quite a character
… she’s middle-aged but has a very youthful appearance … she’s a little overweight I
suppose but not too much … she has a friendly round face framed by thick blonde hair …
she has a lovely complexion and she’s always well-turned out … she actually always looks
like she’s going out for the evening to somewhere special … there’s never a hair out of
place … I’ve always thought she bears a striking resemblance to someone on TV … I can’t
remember the name now … she wears glasses and always seems to have a different pair on
every time I see her … I like the way she looks because she wears clothes that are right for
her age and manages to look glamorous without it looking like she’s too done up … yes …
I’ll be happy if I look like her when I’m her age…
Part 3 – Style Questions
Examiner: Is it important to dress well whenever you go out?
Mark: It depends where you’re going … I know some people get done up just to go to the
shops … but I don’t see the point … you shouldn’t go out looking scruffy with disheveled
hair but I really don’t see the point in getting dressed up to the nines unless you’re going
somewhere special…
Examiner: Do people worry too much about their appearance as they get older?
Mira: I’m sure they do … yes … but it happens to all of us doesn’t it … we all go grey
eventually and get hard of hearing … we start to lose our figure … that’s why plastic
surgery is so popular … personally I think we just need to grow old gracefully and not worry
too much about how we look …
Examiner: Is attractiveness a quality worthwhile aiming for?
Phoebe: I’d like to say no … it shouldn’t matter what we look like in terms of our physical
appearance … but unfortunately it seems women especially are taken more seriously if they
are good looking with a slender figure with perfect make-up and so on …
Definitions
●​ To bear a striking resemblance: to look very similar to
●​ Cropped hair: very short hair
●​ Disheveled hair: untidy hair
●​ To dress up to the nines: to dress very smartly or glamorously
●​ Fair hair: light colored hair
●​ To be fair-skinned: light skinned
●​ To get done up: to dress smartly
●​ To be getting on a bit: to be getting old
●​ To go grey: to have hair that is turning grey
●​ To be good looking: to be attractive
●​ To grow old gracefully: to act in a way that embraces the fact you are getting older
●​ To be hard of hearing: to find it difficult to hear
●​ Scruffy: dressed untidily
●​ To look young for your age: to look younger than you are
●​ To lose one’s figure: to have a figure that has lost its toned shape
●​ Complexion: natural skin colour and texture
●​ Medium height: average height
●​ Middle-aged: approximately between 45-65
●​ To never have a hair out of place: perfectly styled hair
●​ To be overweight: to weigh more than is regarded as healthy
●​ Pointed face: the opposite of a round face
●​ Shoulder-length hair: hair that comes down to the shoulders and no further
●​ Slender figure: a figure that is tall and slim
●​ Slim figure: attractively thin
●​ Thick hair: a lot of hair
●​ To be well-built: to be muscular
●​ To be well-turned out: to look smart
●​ Youthful appearance: to look young
TOPIC 15: BUSINESS
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you work or are you a student?
Hati: I run my own business actually… I have an online business selling cosmetics… I set up
the business 5 years ago and I’m really enjoying working for myself.
Examiner: What is your ideal job?
Kaori: I don’t think I’d enjoy working for a big company… I think I’d like to go it alone and
be self-employed… I’m not sure what area of business it would be but I think I’d enjoy the
process of drawing up a business plan and seeing if I could be successful…
Examiner: Is your town a nice place to live?
Monique: It’s OK… the main problem we have is our local high street… It used to be a busy
center but lots of shops have gone bust… it must be very difficult to make a profit when
you have huge supermarkets in the area and a lot haven’t been able to survive with such
cut-throat competition…
Part 2-style task
Describe a business you know that you admire. You should say
●​ What this business is
●​ What the business sells
●​ How long you have known about the business
And say why you like it so much
Magda: Actually I discovered a business very recently that I like so much. I’d like to do
something similar in the future… it’s a small niche business that runs courses in how to
cook…especially bread… the owner uses his kitchen for the courses and went into business
with a local community shop and sells a lot of the bread and cakes they make in the shop… I
first got to hear about the business last year…my wife paid for me to do one of the baking
courses and I got to know the owner during the training… it’s a lifestyle business really… he
doesn’t have plans to take on employees or expand into new areas… he’s happy earning a
living doing the thing he loves… I really admire what he does and I’m sure a lot of people
would love to do something similar… he has a web presence …in fact that’s how we got to
find out about his company… and he uses social media to raise the company profile... but
he’s the only person involved in running the business so he’s in complete control of where
the business goes… that’s something that must make it really satisfying… as long as he’s
managing to balance the books and the cash flow is healthy, I’m sure he must be very
pleased with what he has achieved…
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: Why do some people decide to set up their own business?
Marion: I suppose it’s the idea of being in control of your own destiny… or of believing in a
product or service you may have…plus it must be very exciting…launching
products…winning contracts…and seeing your sales figures improving must be
wonderful…
Examiner: What are some of the risks involved in starting a business?
Hiro: Well…obviously you need to have a good idea…some people say you need to do
market research beforehand so you know what the market wants… if you don’t do this you
could go under…and if it is a good idea the chances are someone else is doing the same
thing so you could end up facing stiff competition.
Examiner: What are some of the things you have to do when running your own business
that might not appeal to everyone?
Katy: Personally, I don’t like being in debt so taking out a business loan wouldn’t suit me at
all… and I know a lot of companies do cold calling to try and drum up business… that’s
something I’d hate to do… and laying people off if the business gets into trouble… that
would be horrible.
Definitions
●​ To balance the books: to not spend more money than you are earning
●​ To be self-employed: to work for yourself/to not work for an employer
●​ To cold call: to make a sales call to someone without asking them for permission first
●​ Cut throat competition: when one company lowers its prices, forcing other
companies to do the same, sometimes to a point where business becomes unprofitable
●​ To do market research: to do research into what potential customers would or
wouldn’t buy
●​ To draw up a business plan: to write a plan for a new business
●​ To drum up business: to try to get customers
●​ To earn a living: to earn money
●​ To go bust: when a business is forced to close because it is unsuccessful
●​ Cash flow: the money coming in and going of out a business
●​ To go into business with: to join another person to start or expand a business
●​ To go it alone: to start your own business
●​ To go under: see ‘to go bust’
●​ To have a web presence: to have a website or social media profile that showcases
your business
●​ To launch a product: to start selling and promoting a new product
●​ To lay someone off: when a company ends an employee’s contract of employment
●​ Lifestyle business: a business that is set up to bring in a sufficient income and no
more
●​ To make a profit: to earn more money than it costs to run the business
●​ Niche business: a business that serves a small, particular market
●​ To raise a company profile: to make more people aware of a business
●​ Sales figures: a report of the income of a company generates through sales of
products or services
●​ Stiff competition: strong competition from other companies in the same area of work
●​ To take on employees: to employ people
●​ To take out a loan: to borrow money
●​ To win a contract: when a business gets legally-binding work with an individual or
company
TOPIC 16: TOWN AND CITY
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: What is it like where you live?
Christiane: I live in a residential area of a busy town in the south of Spain… we have all the
facilities you need… good public transport… a good shopping center…it’s nice.
Examiner: Do you like living in the city?
Andrea: Yes, I do… I like going out with my friends and there are lots of lively bars and
restaurants within walking distance of my apartment… I’m a bit of a culture vulture as well
so it’s great to have access to art exhibitions and that kind of thing.
Examiner: Do you get many tourists visiting your area?
Mandy: Not really no… I live in the inner-city and the area is a little run down … it’s
basically a lot of high-rise flats and many of the shops are boarded up … so nothing to
interest tourists really…
Part 2-style task
Describe an interesting town or city in your country that visitors might enjoy. You should say
●​ What the place is called
●​ Where the place is
●​ What the facilities are like
And say why visitors might enjoy going there.
Monique: Anyone who comes to my country really should spend some time in Barcelona…
it’s a beautiful place… it’s not what you would call a sprawling city… it’s quite compact
really and you could walk across the city in a couple of hours… but there’s no need to do that
as we have a fantastic public transport system so it’s easy to get around…there are various
districts all with their own character… you have the upmarket shops in the center… you’ll
find lots of chain stores you’ll recognize from your own country but also local brands as
well… we have the narrow streets in the Gothic district with lots of fashionable boutiques
and tourist attractions… there’s the Olympic area and the beaches along the coast… and
dotted around the city are some lovely public spaces… parks and squares in the city center
and on the outskirts of Barcelona where people relax with their friends and family… and of
course pavement cafes everywhere… all that and some great historical places of interest …
so a great destination for tourists…
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: What are the advantages of living in a city or big town?
Carrie: I think it’s having access to local facilities really… local shops as well as access to
larger shopping malls in the city center… and if you’re well-off you can afford to live in the
suburbs away from the busy traffic…
Examiner: In your experience are city centers usually attractive places?
Mary: Some can be yes… especially those with a historical interest … but sometimes they’re
full of ugly blocks… multi-story car parks… and residents living in poor housing… it
depends on the city, doesn’t it?
Examiner: What are some of the challenges facing towns and cities?
Penny: I suppose traffic congestion is a major problem… and the growth in out-of-town
supermarkets and retail parks mean lots of town center shops are closing down… plus a
shortage of good quality housing… I think these are the major challenges…
Definitions
●​ Boarded up shops: shops that are no longer doing business
●​ Chain stores: well-known brands with shops in multiple cities
●​ To close down: to stop doing business
●​ Fashionable boutiques: fashionable clothes shops
●​ To get around: to travel around
●​ High-rise flats: multi-story apartments
●​ Inner-city: the central part of a city where people live and where conditions are often
poor
●​ Lively bars/restaurants: bars or restaurants with a good atmosphere
●​ Local facilities: local buildings or services serving the public
●​ Multi-storey car parks: car parks on several floors
●​ Office block: a large building that contains offices
●​ Out of town shopping center/retail park: large shopping centers outside of the town
or city
●​ Pavement café: cafes with tables outside on the pavement
●​ Places of interest: buildings that have a particular interest for visitors
●​ Poor housing: housing that is not in good condition
●​ Public spaces: areas in a town or city that are open to the public
●​ Public transport system: public vehicles such as buses and trains that operate at
regular times on fixed routes
●​ Residential area: an area where people live
●​ Run down: old and of a poor standard
●​ Shopping center: an area consisting of multiple shops
●​ Shopping malls: large indoor shopping centers
●​ Sprawling city: a city that has grown over time and which covers a wide area
●​ Tourist attraction: a place of interest to tourist
●​ Traffic congestion: heavy traffic making it difficult to move around a town or city
●​ Market shops: expensive fashionable shops
TOPIC 17: MUSIC
Part 1 – Style questions
Examiner: What kind of music do you listen to?
Katherine: I’m a big fan of classical music … it doesn’t make me very popular with my
children … their taste in music is completely different … they always want to listen to their
favorite rock bands …
Examiner: Do you play any instruments?
Jannie: No, I don’t … I’ve always wished I’d taken up a musical instrument … I’d love to
be able to play the guitar … but I think I’m a bit tone deaf so perhaps I’d find it hard …
Examiner: Do you ever attend live concerts?
Marco: I’m really into live music so I go to a lot of music festivals. I think a live
performance always sounds more exciting than a recorded version, as long as the performers
can sing and play well of course. I also enjoy listening to buskers in the subway station every
evening on my way home from work.
Part 2 – Style Task
Describe a song you like to listen to. You should say
●​ What the piece of music is called
●​ How long you have liked it
●​ When you like to listen to it
And say why you like it so much.
Milie: Well … I’m a little older than most students and when I was young Abba the Swedish
pop group were very famous … I don’t think it was cool to like them even though they had a
huge following but I think now people have realised what wonderful songs they wrote …
one piece of music in particular is called ‘Slipping through my fingers’ … it wasn’t a
massive hit but I love it … it’s a song for parents and it’s all about how quickly our children
grow up … it’s a slow number and like a lot of their songs it’s a very catchy tune … the two
women in Abba had great voices and it’s a kind of music you can also sing along to easily …
even if you don’t have a great voice … I listen to Abba when I feel like a sing-song … and I
especially like to listen when I’m doing the housework … it stops me thinking about the hard
work …
Part 3 – Style Questions
Examiner: Is the Internet a good or bad thing for the music industry?
Thomas: I tend to think it’s mostly bad, due to piracy. On the other hand it’s good for
marketing new musical talent or particular bands, but as I mentioned, it’s so easy to share
and download tracks for free, so I think it is costing the industry a lot of money.
Examiner: Should music be treated as seriously as subjects like maths or sciences at
school?
Carla: I think it should … I don’t think it should be taught in a boring way … I mean making
children read music … But I do think they should be encouraged to play instruments and to
play things by ear perhaps … to keep the lessons fun …
Examiner: Where do people usually enjoy listening to music?
Sally: In lots of ways or places … as background music when they are doing something else
… at concerts when a band goes on tour … or in clubs or discos …
Definitions
●​ Adoring fan: people who love a particular band or singer
●​ Background music: music that is played while something else is happening
●​ A catchy tune: A song that is easy to remember and makes you want to sing it
●​ Classical music: music that is regarded as part of a long, formal tradition
●​ To download tracks: to obtain music from the Internet
●​ To have a great voice: to sing well
●​ To go on tour: to go on a planned series of performances around a region or country
●​ A huge following: a large number of fans
●​ Live music: music that is listened to while it is performed (not recorded)
●​ Live performance: (see live music)
●​ A massive hit: a record that sells lots of copies
●​ A music festival: music performances at a venue often over several days
●​ Musical talent: skilled at music
●​ To be/sing out of tune: not to be in a harmony/to sing the wrong notes
●​ A piece of music: an item of music
●​ To play by ear: to play without reading the musical notes
●​ A pop group: a small group of people who play or sing pop music together
●​ To read music: to understand and follow written musical notes
●​ To sing along to: to join in singing
●​ A sing-song: to sing informally, often with other people
●​ A slow number: a song with a slow tempo
●​ To take up a musical instrument: to begin learning a musical instrument
●​ Taste in music: the music someone likes
●​ To be tone deaf: to be unable to distinguish the different notes in music
TOPIC 18: WEATHER
Part 1 – Style Questions
Examiner: What’s the weather like in your country?
Katie: It’s quite changeable really … we have periods of time with clear blue skies then all
of a sudden we’ll have torrential rain.
Examiner: Which months have the best weather in your country?
Ernest: Well … I suppose it’s a matter of personal taste really … I like it around the end of
October and November … I’m not fond of the heatwaves we often get during the summer …
it’s not freezing cold during these months and we still get lots of sunny spells.
Examiner: Does it bother you much when it rains?
Junko: It depends … if I get caught in the rain and I get drenched I don’t like it … but I’m
a gardener so a drop of rain is good for my plants.
Part 2 – Style Task
Describe a time when you experienced extreme weather conditions. You should say
●​ When this was
●​ Where you were
●​ What the weather was like
And say how you felt about the experience.
I was studying English in a language school a few years ago … we were in Cornwall in the
UK … we’d been enjoying lovely sunny days … not a cloud in the sky … when all of a
sudden there was a change in the weather … we were in town walking around the shops
when it started to pour down … I’d never seen such heavy rain before … within about 10
minutes the roads were full of water … I think they call it a flash flood … it was like being in
the middle of a tropical storm… the water was almost up to my knees … the weather
forecast hadn’t predicted it so everyone was taken by surprise … I’m not sure you could call
it ‘extreme’ weather as a few hours later it started to clear up … the sun came out and slowly
the water level went down … but a lot of people’s houses were flooded so it would have been
extreme for them … I found it all quite exciting … in my country we generally have a very
mild climate and don’t often get floods like this so it was quite an experience for me.
Part 3 – Style Questions
Examiner: Do you think the weather affects how people feel?
Tierre: Absolutely … yes … I don’t mind the occasional cold spell but I think the winter
months can make you feel down. I hate having to leave the house in the winter … there’s
often a thick fog every morning and we sometimes get bitterly cold winds … the winter
certainly makes me feel a little depressed … though having said that … it’s always nice to see
the town covered in a blanket of snow.
Examiner: Do you think the weather is changing due to global warming?
Ceri: I don’t know if it’s due to global warming or not but the weather in my country is
certainly changing … we’ve been getting quite mild winters lately … the temperatures are
sometimes below freezing but only occasionally … and then during the summer it can get
boiling hot with a lot of older people even suffering from heatstroke.
Examiner: In which way are weather forecasts useful?
Sinita: Well … if you’re planning a trip or going on holiday it’s important to know whether
you’ll need to dress up warm or take an umbrella … farmers need to know what the
long-range forecast is so they can plan their work … I suppose people who organize outside
events need to know as well in case things get rained off.
Definitions
●​ To be below freezing: below zero degrees Celsius
●​ Bitterly cold: very cold and unpleasant
●​ A blanket of snow: a complete covering of snow
●​ Boiling hot: very hot (informal)
●​ Changeable: weather that often changes
●​ A change in the weather: when weather conditions change
●​ Clear blue skies: a sky without clouds
●​ To clear up: when clouds or rain disappear
●​ To come out (the sun): when the sun appears out of a cloudy sky
●​ A cold spell: a short period of cold weather
●​ To dress up warm: to wear warm clothes to product yourself against wintry
conditions
●​ A drop of rain: a little bit of rain
●​ A flash flood: a sudden and severe flood
●​ Freezing cold: very cold (informal)
●​ To get caught in the rain: to be outside when it rains unexpectedly
●​ To get drenched: to get very wet
●​ Heatstroke: a serious condition caused by being too long in hot weather
●​ A heatwave: a period of very hot weather
●​ Heavy rain: intense rainfall
●​ Long- range forecast: the weather forecast for several days or weeks ahead
●​ Mild climate: a climate without extreme weather conditions
●​ Mild winter: a winter that isn’t particularly cold
●​ Not a cloud in the sky: see ‘clear blue skies’ above
●​ To pour down: to rain heavily
●​ To be rained off: to be canceled or postponed due to poor weather
●​ Sunny spells: short periods of sunny weather
●​ Thick fog: a dense fog that makes visibility very poor
●​ Torrential rain: see ‘ heavy rain’ above
●​ Tropical storm: a storm typical of ones that you find in tropical climates
●​ Weather forecast: a TV/radio program or section in a newspaper/magazine which
predicts weather conditions
TOPIC 19: ANIMALS
Part 1-style questions:
Examiner: Do you have a favorite animal?
Jamie: Well, I wouldn’t say I’m a massive animal lover, but I do have a special fondness for
horses. I grew up around horses since my family owned a ranch with stables, and I’ve also
dabbled in a few different equestrian sports like polo and even horse racing. I wanted to be a
jockey when I was younger, but I kind of outgrew that idea once I got to high school.
Examiner: Are there any animals you’re afraid of?
Jasmine: I would definitely say I have an innate fear of rodents. It doesn’t matter if they’re
big or small, whether a field mouse or a capybara, I just feel they all look and smell like
house rats, which doesn’t appeal to me at all. I prefer cuddlier animals like dogs. Even
reptiles would be much better for me!
Examiner: Are there any animals of special importance in your country?
Ravi: I grew up in India, so of course we consider cows to be sacrosanct because of religious
reasons. Everyone knows that, but what a lot of people don’t realize is actually we have a lot
of important animals. For example, monkeys are important because it’s the animal form of
the God Hanuman. In Hinduism, Hanuman is the God of Wisdom, Strength, Courage,
Devotion, and Self-Discipline.
Part 2-style task:
Describe a wild animal you like. You should say:
●​ What it looks like
●​ What it eats
●​ Where it lives
and explain why you like this animal
Today I’m going to tell you about my favorite wild animal. I’m a bit of a nature geek, so
naturally I am quite fascinated with animals. One of my favorites is the lion. It’s a mammal,
which means the females give birth to cubs, rather than laying eggs. It’s known for being a
ferocious predator. It preys on smaller animals like deer or antelopes. Lions are generally
tawny, but their most distinguishing feature is the mane, the thick fur around the neck of
male lions. This trait is virtually absent in female ones. You can expect to find lion prides in a
number of places. The African lion, as the name would suggest, is endemic to the savanna of
Africa, but there are also Asiatic lions, too. And of course you can find them in zoos all
around the world. Lions are carnivores, so they feed primarily on meat. I would imagine they
are not a fan of greens. They are predators, so I suppose the bulk of their daily activity would
be hunting. I don’t know much else apart from these things. My love for the lion was
fostered when I watched the Lion King as a child. It was a critically acclaimed animated
movie by Disney, and definitely one of my all-time favorites.
Part 3-style questions:
Examiner: What kinds of human activities make it more difficult for animals to
survive?
Josephine: I think there are a lot of different human actions that make it tough for animals to
thrive. One is deforestation, as we’ve seen in places like Brazil or Indonesia. Illegal logging
might be good for the world’s timber supply, but it’s had an absolutely devastating impact on
conservation efforts. Another example is overfishing. A lot of commercial fishing these days
isn’t really focused on sustainability, and that will have a bad effect on the oceans in the
long-run.
Examiner: How can animals be beneficial for humans?
Olivier: Animals bring enormous upside for people, from providing emotional support to
agriculture and even transportation. However, I think the biggest thing we get from animals is
simply their companionship. For example, my cousin Marie has a mastiff that she adopted
from a shelter, and he’s always there for her, whether playing fetch at the park or simply
dozing next to her while she’s reading a book. Animals are just a constant delight, in my
view.
Examiner: Why do some people choose not to eat animals?
Faheed: That’s a difficult question, as I personally am a major carnivore, but I think perhaps
it’s a combination of things. For some, it’s all about issues related to animal welfare, since
obviously animals are sentient beings just like humans. For others, it might be more about
environmental concerns. Animal agriculture has a massive carbon footprint, so being
vegetarian or vegan might be a way to help with that.
Definitions
●​ ranch: a large farm, especially in the western US, where cattle or other animals are
raised
●​ stables: housing for horses
●​ equestrian sports: sports involving the use of horses
●​ jockey: a horse rider, especially in competitive horse racing
●​ rodents: a type of mammal, characterized by continuously growing rootless incisor
teeth
●​ capybara: the largest species of rodent, native to South America
●​ sacrosanct: sacred or holy
●​ self-discipline: the ability to control oneself
●​ nature geek: someone who is passionate about nature
●​ cubs: baby lions
●​ predator: an animal that eats other animals
●​ preys on: eats
●​ tawny: an orange-brown or yellowish-brown color
●​ endemic: native to a particular area
●​ savanna: a grassy plain with only a few scattered trees, especially found in Africa
●​ carnivore: an animal that eats meat
●​ fostered: developed
●​ critically acclaimed: well-liked by critics
●​ deforestation: the cutting down of trees in a forest, especially on a large scale
●​ sustainability: the ability to maintain or preserve
●​ companionship: a feeling of fellowship or friendship
●​ mastiff: a large breed of dog
●​ sentient: able to perceive or feel things
●​ carbon footprint: the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a particular person or
group
TOPIC 20: CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Part 1-style questions:
Examiner: Have you ever had anything stolen from you?
Naomi: Oh yes, several times. Once I was visiting New York City and a pickpocket took my
iPhone out of my pocket when I wasn’t looking. It was on the subway in Manhattan, and it
was just so crowded, and everyone was getting jostled whenever new passengers boarded,
and I guess I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. Next thing I knew, my phone was
gone. It was pretty frustrating to say the least, but at least now I know to be more careful in
big cities.
Examiner: Is there a lot of crime in the area where you live?
Jacques: Luckily not too much. It used to be a high-crime area maybe two or three decades
ago, but it’s gone through a long period of gentrification since then. Of course, since I live in
a very urbanized area in Paris, we do have our share of petty crimes: pickpocketing, bag
snatching, vandalism, that sort of thing.
Examiner: Do you enjoy movies and books about crime?
Lars: Very much so. In my home country of Sweden there’s been a huge uptick in the
popularity of crime novels. I bet you’ve even heard of some like The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo. As for movies, I don’t have much time to go to the cinema, but I do enjoy seeing
films about crime, especially detectives trying to solve difficult homicide cases, or cases that
have gone cold. Scandinavian crime stories tend to be very dark and psychological, which I
also really enjoy. And some of the young Swedish auteurs are churning out fantastic work
these days.
​
Part 2-style task:
Describe a law which you think is a good idea. You should say:
●​ What the law is
●​ How it works
●​ Why it’s beneficial
and explain your overall feelings about this law
The law that regulates child labor is the one I really appreciate and like. The law regarding
child labor prevents employers from employing anyone below 18 years old in any work that
poses a danger to the child. I feel that this is an important law and that everybody should
abide by this law. Children are our next generation and their safety should be our top priority.
So we should never engage them in hazardous work and should make sure that they are
getting a proper education before entering the workforce. Though the government and the
parents of children have a responsibility to nurture them and ensure their education,
sometimes it is beyond their control and so each of us should make sure that we are not
violating this law. I like this law because it prevents greedy employers from taking advantage
of children in dangerous work environments. It makes it more likely that children will stay in
school and complete their education. Since this law strictly prohibits all citizens from ruining
a child’s future, I really feel great respect for this particular law.
Part 3-style questions:
Examiner: Do you think governments should punish crime more harshly than they do
currently?
Giannis: I have mixed feelings about that, to be honest. I think the real question is what
policies will lead to the least amount of recidivism. There may be some violent offenders
who simply can never be rehabilitated, or might have too much difficulty integrating back
into society. That said, I also believe a lot of non-violent crimes are probably treated too
harshly these days. Why should we spend money to lock people up if they haven’t harmed
anyone?
Examiner: Beyond the issue of punishment, what steps can societies take to reduce
crime rates?
Lana: That’s a tough one, as I’m certainly not any kind of criminologist. But I think certainly
there’s a strong correlation between poverty and crime. As countries get more developed,
there are more job opportunities and fewer people have to resort to crime. I also think when
people feel personally invested in their communities, that can make a huge difference as well.
Examiner: Do you think there will still be a lot of crime 50 years from now? Or will
societies succeed in making crime a thing of the past?
Avi: Yeah, there’s something about human nature that makes that prospect seem quite
unrealistic, regardless of how noble it might sound. Obviously this is something we think
about constantly, for example in science fiction movies like Minority Report, where police
can use mind-reading techniques to prevent crimes before they happen. But ultimately, I tend
to think we’ll always have some level of crime, no matter what. The area where I do see a lot
future changes though is in the nature of policing. As technology develops, we’ll have much
better forensics and fewer crimes will go unsolved. And that will likely have a major effect
on society.
Definitions
●​ pickpocket: someone who steals a wallet or other valuables out of someone else’s
pocket. (Note: can also be used as a verb.)
●​ getting jostled: to get pushed, elbowed, or bumped by others in a crowd
●​ gentrification: the process where poor areas of a city are changed by wealthier
people moving in
●​ urbanized: city-like
●​ petty crimes: small minor crimes, typically non-violent in nature
●​ vandalism: the destruction or defacement of property (graffiti, for example)
●​ uptick: an increase
●​ homicide: another word for murder, used especially as a legal term
●​ cases that have gone cold: cases that have not been solved and that are not seeing
any progress toward being solved
●​ auteur: a filmmaker who exerts a large amount of creative control over the
filmmaking process
●​ abide by: to follow a law or instruction
●​ hazardous: dangerous
●​ nurture: to develop
●​ prohibits: bans or stops something from happening
●​ recidivism: when a criminal commits further crimes after being released from prison
●​ rehabilitate: to restore someone to a normal life after a period of imprisonment
●​ criminologist: someone who studies crime
●​ correlation: a mutual relationship between two or more things
●​ prospect: a possibility
●​ forensics: scientific tests used for solving crimes (fingerprinting, for example)
TOPIC 21: THEME PARKS & AMUSEMENT PARKS
Part 1-style questions:
Examiner: Do you enjoy amusement parks?
Thy: Yes, I do love amusement parks. I really enjoy the feeling of being thrilled and it really
stirs up the excitement in me. Whenever I am in an amusement park, it brings back nostalgia
of when I was a child and it evokes the same level of enthusiasm that I had for things as a
child.
Examiner: Are amusement parks popular in your country?
Vladimir: Yes, very much so. Amusement parks are quite popular in my country. During the
summer holidays, everyone is packed in like sardines and the queuing takes hours. But, if
you go on a quiet day, you’ll find the crowds are much more manageable, and it can be a lot
more enjoyable.
Examiner: For a day trip, would you prefer a visit to an amusement park or a visit
to a beach?
Leila: I would definitely prefer the beach. Rides often make me feel queasy, and I can’t go
on rollercoasters because I have acrophobia. Some people might enjoy that kind of
adrenaline rush, but I’m just not much of a daredevil, I suppose. If you tried to get me on a
rollercoaster nowadays, I’d probably just chicken out. On top of that, parks can get pretty
chock-a-block during the summer months, so you might have to wait in line for several hours
for the most popular rides.
Part 2-style task:
Describe an amusement park or theme park you went to. You should say:
●​ Where it was
●​ When you went there
●​ Who you went with
aand explain what you did there
Julio: I can still recall vividly the time I went with my family to Disney World in Orlando. It
was me, my mom and dad, and my older sister. We traveled there when I was a kid, maybe
seven or eight, and we really had a blast. Even though at the time I wasn’t tall enough for
some of the rides, I still enjoyed some of them, like the carousel and the haunted mansion.
And of course I loved eating all the unhealthy food, like funnel cakes and cotton candy.
What I remember the most though was this one ride called ExtraTERRORestrial Alien
Encounter. The name was kind of a pun on the words extraterrestrial and terror. Anyway,
the idea behind this ride was sort of a science fiction story, I suppose. The alien that attacks
you is really scary and it has all of these neat special effects, like warm wet air that’s meant to
simulate the alien breathing down your neck. They even had water sprinklers and air blasters
meant to simulate the alien’s drool! It was so gruesome when I think about it, but I really
loved it at the time. Unfortunately, I found out later that this ride was so scary that they
removed it, but I still have fond memories of it.
Part 3-style questions:
Examiner: Why do some people enjoy the feeling of being scared?
Vanessa: That’s an interesting question about human psychology. Personally I love
rollercoasters, but I don’t enjoy horror movies or extreme sports. I guess context can really be
important, you know? But I think in general, people like being scared because the feeling of
danger is very satisfying in retrospect. Like on a rollercoaster, you get this crazy
out-of-control feeling, and that feeling of butterflies in your stomach, but then at the end,
right after it’s over, you feel relieved, and maybe you even want to do it all over again.
Examiner: Are theme parks more fun for kids or for adults?
Chung-Hee: Ideally it should be both! But I do think some kinds of theme park attractions are
geared toward specific age groups, and that can make a huge difference. When park-goers
are older, they might be more likely to gravitate toward rollercoasters with lots of
inversions, and that kind of thing. Of course, there are lots of rides like dodgems that can be
fun for all ages!
Examiner: Why do so many theme parks create rides based on popular media
franchises, such as movies or video games?
Daniel: Yes, I’ve noticed this trend as well, and it’s not surprising in my opinion. Places like
Disney or Universal Studios pay loads of money for intellectual property rights, because the
attractions they can build from the IP are major cash cows. For example, when Universal
Studios created rides based on the Harry Potter Franchise, it generated an enormous amount
of interest, even from people who weren’t the normal demographic for theme parks. With
that kind of easy return on investment, it seems like a no-brainer!
Definitions
●​ Nostalgia: a feeling of longing for the past, especially for a period or place with
happy personal associations
●​ Evokes: bringing to mind
●​ Packed in like sardines: extremely crowded
●​ Queuing: waiting in line (British English)
●​ Queasy: feeling sick, especially nauseous
●​ Acrophobia: the fear of heights
●​ Adrenaline: a hormone that increases rates of blood circulation and breathing,
especially during times of increased stress or excitement.
●​ Daredevil: someone who seeks out thrilling and/or high-risk activities
●​ Chicken-out: to back out of something due to perceived risk and/or danger
●​ Chock-a-block: extremely crowded
●​ Vividly: clearly
●​ Had a blast: had a fun time
●​ Funnel cakes: a type of fried, sugary dessert food popular at carnivals and
amusement parks, especially in the United States
●​ Pun: a type of joke based on wordplay
●​ Extraterrestrial: an alien
●​ Gruesome: gross or disgusting
●​ In retrospect: when looking back in time at a past event or situation
●​ Butterflies in your stomach: the feeling of nervousness in your stomach, or
alternatively, the feeling that your stomach is dropping
●​ Geared toward: to be made for a specific group of people
●​ To gravitate toward: to be attracted by something (like the way physical objects are
attracted by gravity)
●​ Inversions: upside-down flips or rotations
●​ Dodgems: a type of ride involving cars smashing into each other (also called bumper
cars)
●​ Intellectual property:
●​ Cash cows: a product or service that makes a lot of money
●​ Demographic: a particular group or subgroup within a population
●​ No-brainer: something (especially a particular course of action) that is extremely
obvious
TOPIC 22: VOLUNTEER WORK & PHILANTHROPY
Part 1-style questions:
Examiner: Have you ever volunteered your time for a good cause?
Sophon: Yes, there’s an animal shelter in my home city of Phnom Penh that does a lot of
great work caring for abandoned animals. That’s something I’ve always been really
passionate about. Lots of shelters just euthanize animals when they don’t get adopted, but
this particular one doesn’t, which I really like. I used to volunteer there every Saturday after
work, although nowadays with such a frantic schedule, I don’t do it quite as often, sadly.
Examiner: What benefits do you feel you get from your volunteer work?
Janine: That’s a tough question, because maybe we’d all like to think we’re just being
altruistic when we volunteer our time or money, but of course someone more cynical might
argue that we do in fact get something from it. I think for me personally, I do feel happy when
I feel as though I’m useful to other people in the community. I also think I can get valuable
work experience, and depending on what it is, it might even lead to future job opportunities.
Examiner: Is there any type of volunteer work you would never want to do?
Sergei: I am always happy to volunteer my time, but I would say I’m also fairly risk-averse,
so maybe something like volunteer firefighting would be a tough sell for me. I also think
there are trends like voluntourism which can sometimes have deleterious effects on
communities, despite being well-intentioned.
Part 2-style task:
Describe a volunteering experience you had. You should say:
●​ What it was
●​ When it was
●​ Why you volunteered
and explain how you felt about it
I had always wanted to do some work through which I can help those who are less fortunate
than myself. Not too long ago, I got a chance to do some volunteering work—it was in March
2020, to be exact—not long after the Coronavirus started. One of the things that happened in
my country, Ethiopia, was that we had a nationwide lockdown, and that was economically
very bad for a lot of workers, especially blue-collar workers. People lost their jobs in large
numbers, and many lacked enough money to buy food or basic supplies. My street decided to
step in to help, so we started by recruiting volunteers, and then pooling donations. We used
the funds to purchase masks and hand sanitizer for people who couldn’t afford these items.
Over time though, we realized there was also a big shortage of nutritious food, so I
volunteered to cook injera and help distribute it. Why did I do this? Well, it’s simple enough,
I guess. I just felt there was a need, and I had the means to help, so I did. And I’m very glad I
did, too. Afterwards, I felt that I had done the right thing, and I was very proud of the work
we all did in our community.
Part 3-style questions:
Examiner: What qualities are required for an effective volunteer?
Laurent: I think there are all kinds of different traits that might be useful for volunteer work,
because there are so many different types of volunteers. One example: someone might be a
public defender who does pro bono work for certain clients, and that’s so radically different
from, let’s say, someone who volunteers in a soup kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both
equally valuable and necessary in society, but I do think there are different traits involved.
The public defender might be driven by a strong sense of justice, and they have to be very
tough when they go into the courtroom, despite having a good heart. Whereas someone
working in a soup kitchen might be more able to wear their heart on their sleeve, and show
their compassionate side more openly, if that makes sense.
Examiner: You mentioned earlier that you think it’s important for people to donate
their time. What about donating money? Is that also important?
Emile: Oh yes, very much so. Personally, I have also done that, although perhaps not as often
as I’d like to. I’m not wealthy enough to be recklessly prodigal, but I’m not stingy, either.
That said, there might be a good middle-ground for most people where they can give what
they can without going overboard. One example of this is with crowdfunding. Because you
can normally donate anonymously, benefactors won’t feel as guilty about donating small
amounts. Sometimes it’s good just to chip in what you can, because there’s a cumulative
effect and it can make a big difference!
Examiner: I wanted to ask you about larger scale philanthropy. Do you think people
who are very wealthy have a responsibility to be generous with their money?
Fatima: You know, I’m really of two minds about that. Some people are really loaded and
yet make very limited contributions back to society. I would say that makes me sad, because
there can actually be a great joy in generosity, not to mention the incredible impact it can
have on others. On the other hand, larger scale philanthropy can often be just as much about
virtue signaling as it is about helping people. Or in other cases, it can be more of a quid pro
quo, where someone donates money to fund, say, a library, but they have strings attached,
like saying the library has to be named after them or something. Maybe the best kind of
philanthropy is actually microfinance, because it can have an impact on large numbers of
people. One example of this is Muhammad Yunus, an entrepreneur from my own country,
actually. He gave loans to people who were too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans, and
they were able to start flourishing businesses with those loans.
Definitions
●​ Euthanize: to put to death, normally with the intention of providing a humane death
●​ Frantic: chaotic or panic-stricken
●​ Altruistic: showing a completely selfless concern for others
●​ Cynical: showing a skeptical view toward the motivations of others
●​ Risk-averse: disliking risk-taking
●​ A tough sell: something that is difficult to persuade someone to do or think
●​ Voluntourism: a mixture of tourism with volunteer work
●​ Deleterious: causing harm
●​ Blue-collar workers: working-class laborers, normally those who work with their
hands rather than working in an office job
●​ Recruiting: the process of identifying and selecting appropriate workers
●​ Pooling: a grouping together of resources, especially money
●​ Injera: a type of Ethiopian bread
●​ Public defender: a lawyer who represents low-income clients who wouldn’t normally
be able to afford a lawyer
●​ Pro bono: work done for free, without a salary
●​ To wear one’s heart on their sleeve: to show your emotions outwardly
●​ Prodigal: recklessly generous with money
●​ Stingy: selfish, especially with money
●​ Middle-ground: a middle position between two extremes
●​ Going overboard: doing way more than that’s required
●​ Crowdfunding: the process of raising small to medium amounts of money from large
numbers of people, normally via the internet
●​ Benefactors: people who give money to a particular cause
●​ Chip in: to donate a small sum
●​ Cumulative effect: a large effect that takes shape slowly over time
●​ Of two minds: having mixed feelings or opinions about somethings
●​ Really loaded: extremely rich
●​ Virtue signaling: the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions intended to
demonstrate one’s good character.
●​ Quid pro quo: the practice of doing someone a favor in exchange for a favor in
return
●​ Strings attached: stipulations
●​ Microfinance: the practice of giving small loans, normally done in order to help
people start a business
●​ Entrepreneur: a person involved with starting a business
●​ Flourishing: successful